Olivia Dean sweeps the BRITs 2026, landing artist, song, pop act and album of the year
olivia dean dominated the 2026 BRIT Awards in Manchester, taking every category in which she was nominated and emerging as the night’s clear commercial and critical winner. The wins matter because they capped a swift rise driven by a second album that has found wide crossover appeal and a public vote that put one of her duets at the top of the singles chart.
Olivia Dean’s four wins and acceptance moments
The 26-year-old won artist of the year, pop act, song of the year and album of the year for The Art of Loving — an album described elsewhere in the coverage as a forthcoming classic. She made three trips to the podium across the evening and appeared overwhelmed on her final appearance, telling the room that it takes a lot of good people to make a good artist and ending with a short, breathy farewell. When she accepted album of the year she said the record is "just about love, and loving each other in a world that feels loveless right now. " The sweep completed a clean run: Dean won in every BRIT category for which she had been nominated.
Rein Me In, Sam Fender and the public WhatsApp vote
Song of the year went to "Rein Me In, " a new duet between Dean and Sam Fender. The song began life as a Fender solo track on his People Watching album before being reissued with a new verse from Dean; that version is now at the top of the UK singles chart. The song category had been decided by a public vote conducted over WhatsApp, and Dean also faced herself in that category — her solo single "Man I Need, " released in August, has barely been out of the UK Top 10 since it arrived. Sam Fender also won the alternative/rock category, marking his third win in that slot after victories in 2022 and 2025; he previously won the critics’ choice award in 2019. Fender and Dean were the only multiple winners at the ceremony.
Co-op Live, Manchester: the ceremony’s new home
The BRIT Awards were staged for the first time at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. The move coincided with a show that mixed theatrical staging and high fashion; observers noted out-of-control wardrobes, odd behaviour and dazzling performances, and suggested the awards themselves were only half the story on a night of spectacle.
Rosalía’s Berghain and the best international artist prize
Spanish singer Rosalía provided one of the most audacious moments of the night with a dramatic rendition of her single "Berghain. " The set featured thunderous strings and Wagnerian vocals, shifted tempo three times, included a guest verse from Björk and ended in a rave-style breakdown. The staging included Björk costumed in what was described as the entrails of a blue alien; the room was left spellbound. Rosalía went on to win best international artist and told the audience she felt honoured to bring her music far from home and to share the moment with peers who make music in Spanish. Country-pop singer CMAT, who had been nominated in the same international category, responded to the loss by collapsing into mock tears for the cameras.
Harry Styles, Jack Whitehall and on-stage zingers
Harry Styles opened the ceremony with a performance of "Aperture, " appearing in what was called a school-uniform silhouette — actually a Chanel pin-striped suit — and executing the technically demanding choreography from the video despite a high-waisted look that commentators said sat uncomfortably. Host Jack Whitehall, who kept up a rapid-fire set of jokes across the night, praised Styles’ opener as "the musical equivalent of sitting on the washing machine. " Whitehall also targeted a string of public figures in his set, saying a US singer resembled "what you get if you order Ed Sheeran on Temu, " quipping that Robbie Williams has "more comebacks than his hairline, " describing Shaun Ryder and Bez as "ageing like service station flowers, " and telling Manchester mayor Andy Burnham that the BRITs were "the only party he’s allowed into these days. " A joke about Peter Mandelson’s guestlist was removed from the televised broadcast by ITV, and Whitehall referenced a recent film awards controversy when promising measures to silence on-air swearing.
Other notable winners and nominees: Lola Young, Jim Legxacy, Rosé, Wolf Alice and Mark Ronson
Lola Young led nominations with five but left Manchester with the breakthrough artist prize; she was previously nominated for the critics’ choice award in 2021 and is now on her third album. Her song "Messy, " released in May 2024, was described in the coverage as "a slow" — unclear in the provided context. Jim Legxacy was beaten to the breakthrough artist award by Young. The international song of the year, decided by public vote WhatsApp, went to Rosé and Bruno Mars for "APT. " Coverage also lists Wolf Alice and Mark Ronson as having taken top honours on the night, though the specific awards they won were not detailed in the provided material.
What makes this notable is how commercial momentum and direct public voting intersected: a second album that blends bossa nova, trip-hop, neo-soul and jazz helped olivia dean leap to the forefront of British pop in less than a year, while a WhatsApp public ballot translated that momentum into a chart-topping single and the evening’s highest-profile trophies.
